Reversed Roles: Tetra's Hourglass
by C War
Summary: Takes place during Phantom Hourglass, but instead of Tetra falling victim to the Ghost Ship, Link has been captured instead. Can the pirate/princess save the hero of time?
1. Chapter 1

"So, what did you think of my amazing paper cutouts? Hey! Link! Are you sleeping, swabbie?" Yawning and stretching, Link had lost track of Niko's story several minutes ago. After all, it was HIS story, why did he need to pay attention to his friend retelling it?

"Link! Link!" Niko turned his attention towards the helm, where Tetra was approaching in search of Link, who was still too sedated to really respond. Spying him, Tetra jumped down to confront him. "Stop messing around down there! You're both supposed to be on lookout!" Link sat up, blinked, and then promptly fell back down. "Hah! Some legendary hero you are. Who'd believe that you saved me from the evil king?"

"Princess Zelda, we're nearly at that spot in the sea!" called another lookout who was still paying attention to his task.

"I told you not to call me Zelda!" she snapped back. "Tetra worked just fine before, you know. But enough about that! So this is where the Ghost Ship is said to appear? Stay on the lookout for a creepy-looking ship!"

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Niko asked from behind her. "What about all those ships that have gone missing? I say the Ghost Ship is behind all of it!"

"That's right, Niko. Every ship disappears. And it's all because of that scaaaary Ghost Ship!" Sarcasm dripped from Tetra's voice, but Niko didn't seem to hear it.

"G-ghosts…?" he stammered, shivering visibly.

"Hey, Tetra!" called the helmsman. "They say these seas are protected, yeah? Something about a spirit called the Ocean King. Wouldn't a spirit like that protect the ships? Unless there really is an evil Ghost Ship…"

"Don't be ridiculous," she replied tersely. "There's no such thing as a Ghost Ship! I bet it's just some pirates up to no good. I'll expose them as a bunch of frauds. And remind them that there are rules to being pirates! I doubt there really is an Ocean King anyway."

Behind her, Link gasped, sensing something that quickly became evident, as fog enveloped the ship.

"Hey…look!" Niko exclaimed. "The air feels chilly... Eerie, even. I say we take a detour around this creepy place." He was now shivering even worse than before. Link was now fully awake, staring off into the fog.

Tetra was the least concerned about the situation. "Quit being so scared!" she snapped at Niko. "We're here to see the world, not take detours!"

A call rang from the crow's nest. "Ship ahoy!" The lookout paused. "Tetra…I can see a ship…yeah, a ship…up ahead!" The lookout's voice wavered, and he was definitely shaken by what he saw.

The others found out what that was a moment later, as a large vessel emerged from the fog, pulling up alongside them. Although it was much larger than their ship, the railing on the main deck was only a couple of feet above theirs. The ship was riddled with holes, making everyone wonder what was holding it together.

Niko was the first with an answer. "It-it's… THE GHOST SHIP!" he screamed. "These waters really are cursed!"

"And you call yourself a pirate! It's just a ship." Tetra replied, still not convinced. She figured it was just another band of pirates with some special effects. "But it does look like it could be the Ghost Ship… There might even be a load of treasure on board!" Now she was excited! "That's it. I'm gonna get to the bottom of this!"

She leapt up onto the railing, but Link stormed past her, jumping up onto the ship easily, prepared to take on whatever was on the ship to protect Tetra. She was foolhardy and reckless, he knew, and she had been captured before. And he could sense that something wasn't right, even if she couldn't.

"Hey! I'm the leader! Get back here Link!" Tetra yelled as she jumped onto the rail of the Ghost Ship after him. Suddenly, the ship shifted, and she nearly lost her grip. A glance backwards revealed that her own ship wasn't behind her anymore, and her leg that she'd gotten onto the rail slipped back off.

She had almost gotten her leg back up again when she heard Link yelling in pain from somewhere in the ship, and it lurched again. She couldn't keep her grip this time, and fell off into the water with a yell.

_Tetra…I need your help…I lost…Tetra…save me…_

"Hey!" Tetra awoke on a sandy beach to the voice of a fairy. She sat up, and the fairy began flying around her head. "Oh, phew! You're awake! You weren't moving, so I thought you were done for!"

"It'll take more than that to beat me!" Tetra shouted, wishing that the fairy would stop making her dizzy.

"But it looks like you're going to be OK." The fairy finally stopped right in front of her face. "I'm Ciela. You see, I'm a fairy!"

"Of course you're a fairy!" Tetra exclaimed, not sure whether to laugh or grump. "Where did you come from, though?"

"Well, I was out fluttering around and found you here. What happened?"

Tetra held a hand to her hand, trying to remember just what she'd been doing. She remembered falling into the water, and… "The Ghost Ship! Link! Give Link back!"

"What? A Ghost Ship? Your friend was taken away by a Ghost Ship?" Ciela exclaimed. Tetra then explained what she remembered of her encounter with the Ghost Ship, staring out at the sea in a vain hope of seeing some trace of it. "So, you were following him onto the ship, and got separated from your own ship, huh?" Ciela asked, confirming what Tetra was telling her. She just nodded, the shock setting in. "Is it the Ghost Ship people have been talking about? They say that those it takes are never seen again!"

"So I've heard," Tetra agreed, "but I didn't believe it. But I guess I should have…" She found herself fighting back tears, knowing that this was her fault for chasing after the ship in the first place.

"You want to know more about the Ghost Ship?" Ciela volunteered. "Grandpa will know all about it."

"Grandpa, huh?" Tetra didn't know what the grandpa of a fairy would be, but figured that anything was possible.

"Yeah. I lost my memory…a long time ago." Ciela sounded sad, and Tetra didn't blame her. "When I woke up on this beach, Grandpa rescued me!" So, then Grandpa was probably just a human that had taken care of the fairy, Tetra concluded. "He's very sweet, so you've got nothing to worry about! Our house is up there, off the beach. Come on!" Ciela flew off towards a house nestled into the low hills above the beach. Seeing that Tetra hadn't followed, she flew back. "Oh, can you walk?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Tetra snapped out of her daze and followed Ciela up the hill.

The house wasn't very big, but it had a fenced yard, and barrels were stacked on the east side of the building. She followed Ciela inside, and found herself facing an old man with a big staff that looked like an elongated seashell.

"Ah, hello, traveler," he greeted her. "I am Oshus, and I live on this island."

"Hello," she replied. "Call me Tetra." She wasn't nearly as gung-ho as she usually was, she realized, but she was now in a very strange situation, and sadness weighed heavily on her heart.

"Ciela told me all about what happened to you," he said, a comforting smile on his face. "I also hear your friend was taken by the Ghost Ship."

_Wow, she said that fast, _Tetra thought, realizing that Ciela had hardly been out of her sight since they'd met. "Yeah, that's what happened." _And it's my fault…_

"I understand that you want to find the Ghost Ship," he continued. "But you must not."

"What?" Tetra shouted.

"But, Grandpa! What are you saying?" Ciela chimed in. "Tetra's friend was carried away!"

A sad look spread across Oshus's face. "Pure evil fills the sails of the Ghost Ship. It roams the seas, in search of victims to capture. And no one has ever escaped from it. It's best if you stay far away from that Ghost Ship."

"I can't do that!" Tetra nearly screamed.

"No." Oshus's voice was calm, but firm. "To seek out that ship is to seek out your doom."

"That's why we have to do something, Grandpa!" Ciela chirped, landing on Tetra's head.

"Oh, mercy…" Oshus whispered, shaking his head. He then looked Tetra in the face. "Hmm…you're not going to give up, are you?"

"Of course not! He never gave up on me, and I won't give up on him!" Tetra was emphatic, and glad that Ciela was taking her side.

"Young people," he said under his breath. "There is a port to the east of here. A sailor by the name of Joleen should be there. She may be willing to tell you more about the Ghost Ship." He pulled out a scroll and handed it to Tetra. "The harbor is over here."

Tetra studied the map for a moment. "Why is there a picture of my face on here?" she asked, surprised.

"The map is enchanted," he explained. "It will show you where you are on the island, or on any of the local islands, if you happen to leave. And you can use this quill to take notes on it, it needs no ink."

"Cool!" Tetra exclaimed, genuinely impressed by the map. She made a mark on the harbor, not that it was hard to figure out where it was anyways. She also accidentally drew a line off to the side, and gasped, trying to rub out the mistake. Surprisingly, it vanished easily. "And it erases, too!"

"Are you talking about that lady that came to visit, Grandpa?" Ciela asked. "She was asking about the Ghost Ship too! I'll go with Tetra and show her who she is." Tetra smiled, glad to have made a new friend. "It's okay, right, Grandpa?"

"Yes, I don't see why you can't go along," Oshus replied, and Ciela began bouncing happily. "I'm sure that you can help Tetra."

"Thank you Grandpa!" Ciela shouted, flying for the door. "Let's go, Tetra!"

Oshus chuckled. "She's always been antsy, that one." He paused. "Now, Tetra, lately there have been many monster sightings. I gave in to you and told you about Joleen. But you be careful out there."

Tetra nodded. "I will, don't worry." She then turned and followed Ciela out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Tetra and Ciela started on the path towards town. Suddenly, the ground began to shake. If not for her years of balancing on a ship, she probably would have fallen down, but she shifted her balance easily to keep her feet.

"What's that rumbling?" Ciela asked frantically as the shaking stopped. "Another earthquake! So many quakes lately. So many monsters, too!"

"Has it really been as bad as that?" Tetra asked, curious.

"Yeah," Ciela replied. "Bad signs, for sure. And I bet there are even worse things to come!"

"Great," Tetra said as she rolled her eyes. With the shaking stopped, they started back towards the port. Tetra's ears perked at the sound of a waterfall nearby, part of the island's fresh water system.

When they got to the river, they found more bad news. "Oh, heavens!" a woman said, standing on the bank. "That quake just broke the bridge again!"

"You can't be serious!" Tetra exclaimed, despite seeing the rubble sticking out of the river.

"Oh, yes," the woman replied. "So many quakes lately, and the bridge breaks every time there's a big one! There's a second way to get to town, fortunately."

"Really?" Tetra asked, brightening.

The woman nodded. "Unfortunately, it leads through a frightening cave full of monsters."

"Oh, great, now what do we do?" Tetra moaned.

"What to do? Well, wait for the bridge to be fixed, of course!" The woman was very calm about the whole thing, probably because of how much it had already happened.

Dejected, Tetra turned away. As she walked, she pulled out the map, to see just where this other path was. "Looks like it's probably through this pass on the far side of Oshus's house," she thought aloud. Nodding, she put the map away and headed over there.

"Oh, great!" she heard someone yell as she approached the pass. Curious, she walked over to the man, standing at the gate to his yard.

"Is something wrong?" Tetra asked.

"You bet there is," the man replied. "That quake just heaved a bunch of rocks into the middle of my patch! They're not too big, but there's just so many of them! Would you mind helping me clear them out? Just toss them over the fence."

"Uh, sure," Tetra replied, now feeling obligated to help. Sure enough, the rocks weren't too hard to pick up or throw, and they tended to shatter when they hit the ground. She picked up a few Rupees that had somehow been lodged in the stones after they finished.

"Thanks aplenty," the man said gratefully. "You really helped me out there. It's not much, but here's something for your trouble." The man handed her…one rupee. She just stared at him, not sure what to think. "Hey, what's with that look? Think I'm some kind of cheapskate? Ah, well, then here's a hot tip for you. Pull out your map." She unrolled the map, and the man made a mark on the north-eastern part of the island. "There's a big tree over here. Give it a good bash when you get there." Tetra glanced at him awkwardly, but figured it was the best that the poor farmer could do, so she thanked him, rolled up the map, and walked away.

Tetra took little comfort in the sign that was posted by the entrance to the path. It read "Danger! Monsters ahead!" But she walked on anyways, intent on reaching the port.

The pass was narrow, but short, and soon opened out to a field on a bluff looking over the ocean. Several red blob-like monsters were wandering around like they owned the place. "MONSTERS!" Ciela howled, immediately drawing their attention. "Look out, Tetra!" Tetra wasted no time in dashing back through the pass. "It's way too dangerous! You need something to defend yourself with."

"Yeah?" Tetra asked sarcastically. "Like what?"

"I don't know, but for now, we have to go back," Ciela answered. Tetra couldn't do anything but agree, so they returned to Oshus's house.

"Tried the path to the north, did you?" he asked as they entered. "Ciela, don't pretend you forgot I told you never to go that way." He turned to Tetra. "We've seen so many quakes rattle the island lately, Tetra. And monsters have been seen closer and closer to town."

"So we've heard," Tetra replied grimly.

"Be cautious, youngs ones," he admonished them. "That cave up north leads to the port, it's true. But that path will be crawling with monsters. Do not even think of it. I'm sure someone will get around to fixing the bridge again…" Tetra heard the uncertainty in that last statement, though, and walked back out with a groan.

Outside, she sat on the steps to Oshus's house. "He wants us to stay out of trouble, but we HAVE to find Link! Gah! If only I had a sword or something, then I'd show those monsters!" She pulled the map back out, and looked for something else she could do. "Hmm, there's this little cave over here…I guess it's behind those barrels."

"Oh, Grandpa uses that cave for storage," Ciela replied. Then she was struck by a realization. "I think I remember Grandpa storing a sword back there!"

"Why didn't you say so?" Tetra replied, stowing the map. "Let's go!"

They went over to the cave, and Tetra pulled a few barrels out of the way so that she could get in. Getting in wasn't too hard, but a little ways in they came to a very large door.

"Oh, I think the sword is back there," Ciela said. "But how to get this door open? Oh yeah! He just writes a number on this sign here! I haven't seen which, but he mumbled something about the palm trees on the beach when he comes in here."

Tetra didn't even bother saying anything before darting back out of the cave. From atop the barrels, she could easily see the beach, and its trees. "Okay, seven of them." She darted back inside to write it on the signboard. She barely acknowledged that the sign also said "Don't touch my things. Please ask first." with Oshus's signature at the bottom. A moment later, the big door slid down into the ground.

Inside of the safe, a bridge extended across a small pond, and beyond that was a small chest. Tetra ran over and popped it open, pulling out the sword that lay inside.

"You found the sword!" Ciela cheered. "Oooooh, we shouldn't tell Grandpa we're taking it, though. He'd worry himself sick. But now we can defend ourselves from those monsters." Tetra couldn't agree more. She was a pirate, after all, and a bit of petty theft like this didn't mean that much to her. She followed Ciela out of the cave after strapping the sword onto her back.

"You two are proving to be quite a handful." To Tetra's surprise and chagrin, Oshus was waiting right outside the cave. "Isn't that my sword? What do you plan to do with that?"

"Grandpa, I'm sorry," Ciela cried, "but we just had to! We can't abandon her friend, and we can't wait for the bridge!"

Oshus just nodded slowly. "Yes, I understand. But I can't just let you go." Tetra was prepared for some form of rejection, but was surprised with what he said next. "Not without showing you how to handle that sword. Come inside, and I'll teach you."

Tetra wasn't unfamiliar with swords, but at the same time, realized that she was out of practice, and that this was a new blade for her, so some training would definitely be good. "Okay, then let's do it." They filed inside, and Tetra drew the blade comfortably, readying herself for the training.

"I see that you are familiar with swords already," Oshus observed. "Then you should know that even the best swords can be bad, if mishandled. So, let's review the basics of swordplay to see if you are ready. We'll use these targets; much safer than real foes." Oshus tapped his cane on the floor, and four targets appeared around the room.

Over the next half hour, they reviewed the simple strikes that Tetra already knew, and Oshus taught her how to do a Spin Attack. She'd seen Link do it before, but had never mastered it herself until now. "So, how was that?" she asked after slicing one target twice in one spin.

"Superb, child. I can teach you nothing more." Worry creased his face as he continued. "Now you must swim on your own as you venture out among the monsters. If you find yourself struggling, return here and speak with me, and we'll see what we can do."

"Thank you, Oshus!" she called as she ran out the door. "Now to get to that port and find out what that other pirate knows."

Tetra jogged back through the pass, idly slicing at the tall grass along the way. That turned out to be beneficial, as she kept finding lost Rupees hidden in the grass. Returning to the field, she made short work of the red blobs. One of her strikes also hit a strange statue, which wobbled for a moment, and then spoke! "Somersaults can be very useful. Try rolling into this big tree to see what shakes loose."

She wasn't sure quite what it meant, but she did as it said, kicking the tree as she came out of her roll. She stumbled back a bit, but she was rewarded with a red Rupee falling out of the tree. "I'm not sure how you knew that was there, statue, but thanks," she said as she continued on towards the cave.

At first, the cave seemed rather normal, not too wide, but spacious. She found her path blocked by some of the same rocks that she'd cleared out of the man's garden, so she tossed them out of the way, gathering the blue Rupee that fell out of one before moving on. Then, she was surprised by a large door, with a disproportionately large keyhole. "I guess that we need to find the key, then," she presumed, continuing along the path next to the door.

Ahead, she saw what looked almost like an altar, with stairs leading up to a chest at the top. But just as she reached it, more of the red blobs popped out of the ground around her. "An ambush, huh? Bring it!" Like outside, she made short work of these, and then climbed the stairs to the chest. Sure enough, inside was a key, and while it hardly matched the size of the lock on the door, she figured it would at least be worth trying.

Placing the key into the large lock, it somehow caught on something, and vanished from her hand. The cave shook slightly as the door opened itself. "Magic doors. Go figure." She then walked into the room behind the door. At the far side of the room, she saw four levers surrounding a door. Off to the side, a stone tablet stuck out of the floor. There was writing on it, so Tetra decided to read it before going for the levers.

She was glad that she did. "Pull the four levers in the correct order. Or else," she read. "Okay, now to figure out what that order is." Before that came into play, she had to get rid of more red blobs, but by now they were child's play. As she chased them, she noticed that large blocks sealed off paths on each side of the room. After they were gone, she tried pushing the blocks, and was surprised at just how easily they moved. "I bet that the answers are back here," she told Ciela, who was now just watching, baffled by the puzzle.

The room behind the block introduced Tetra to a new enemy. "Bats!" Ciela squealed, hiding behind Tetra. Tetra just laughed and attacked the bats. They evaded better than the red blobs, but were just as weak, and one strike easily knocked them out of the sky. She then found another tablet that told her which switch was to be pulled first.

"Huh, I guess that's it for this side," she observed, looking around the now-empty room. "Hopefully there's more stuff on the other side." Moving the other block, she then took out more bats and found both a third tablet and a treasure chest. Naturally, she went for the chest first, and pulled out a red Rupee. The tablet gave instructions for the second and last switches, therefore indicating the third by process of elimination. She returned to the central room, pulled the switches, and then proceeded up the stairs revealed behind the door.

"Do you hear…squeaking?" Ciela asked as they reached the top of the stairs.

"No, I…okay, now I do," Tetra replied with a chill. She then saw the source of the squeaking poke its head around the corner. "Gah! Rats! I hate rats!"

"Hey, then get rid of it! You've got a sword now!" Ciela urged her.

"I guess…" Tetra said hesitantly. She slowly walked up to the corner. "What's that…clinking sound?"

Celia looked around the corner. "One of the rats is dragging a key tied to its tail."

Tetra groaned. "Then we really do have to do something about the rats, if we want to keep going." She advanced further, and was just about to turn the corner when a rat jumped around it first. "Yeeeeek!" she shrieked, lashing out with the sword. The rat was flung backwards, and vanished in a puff of purple smoke. "Oh. I did it!" Her fear of the rats dispelled somewhat, she proceeded to take out the rest of the rats.

One of them, the one with the key, managed to avoid her, however, though it kept running out onto the floor. But it would vanish into one of two holes in the wall. "Then let's cover one of the holes," Ciela suggested. "This should work," she said, flying over to a block like the ones downstairs. The rat kept running around as Tetra moved the block into place, going in and out of the other hole.

Once the hole was covered, she walked over to the far side of the other hole, and chased the rat the next time he came out. He skidded to a halt when he found his exit hole blocked, and before he could run back to the other one, she smacked him with the sword, and picked up the key after he vanished. "Gotcha!" she shouted triumphantly.

Opening the next door, she worked her way through the rest of the cave. She fought a few bats, but was otherwise home free, and was back out in daylight a few minutes later.


	3. Chapter 3

Tetra blinked as she stepped back into the sunlight, and looked out over the village. "We made it to the port!" Ciela shouted triumphantly. "It's so much further to walk when the bridge is out."

"Oh, yeah!" Tetra agreed. "And now that we're here, let's find this Joleen."

"Yeah," Ciela replied. "I've met her a couple of times. Can't say that I care much for her. She's an awfully big talker for such a big cucoo!"

"She's that bad?" Tetra asked.

"Yep," Ciela repeated. "Now let's head to the docks."

The cave exited onto a small ridge, that had stairs leading up to it. As Tetra descended, a woman caught her attention. "Welcome to Mercay Island's port, stranger," she called. "Normally, this place would be full of sailors, but the rumors that the Ghost Ship has returned have all but shut the harbor down!"

"Mercay?" Tetra asked. "I've never heard of Mercay Island before."

"Wait, you've been walking on an island you've never heard of?" the woman asked, baffled.

"She washed up here this morning," Ciela told her.

"Well, Mercay is the largest port in the region, so if you haven't heard of us, then you probably don't know any of the others, either," the woman told them. "But yes, the only traffic we've had lately was the woman who docked here a few days ago. She hasn't left yet, I think."

"Thank you," Tetra said as she started again for the port.

Once she got there, she saw one lone ship, and a man staring at it. "Look at this remarkable ship!" he shouted as she approached. "What do you think of it?"

"Uh…" Tetra was confused. Wasn't the captain supposed to be a woman?

The man didn't wait for her to respond. "Oh, just look at her! What a ship! Such a proud beauty! Time loses all meaning when I gaze upon her…" He paused, a look of rapture on his face that was replaced by agony. "Oh, if only she were mine!"

"Oh, so you're not the captain, then," Tetra replied, no longer confused. The man was an enthusiast, nothing more.

"Nope. It belongs to a sea captain what goes by the name of Joleen," he replied. "A fearless soul, I hear, and a beauty to boot! She's seen the whole world, yet never seen defeat!"

"Yeah, yeah," Tetra was on the verge of yawning. "Do you know where she is?"

"Oh, you're searching for her?" he asked. "Well, she spends a lot of time at the milk bar, but I haven't seen her in days. The bar owner might know where she went, though."

"Okay, thanks," Tetra told him as she walked away. For all of him calling Joleen a beauty, he was obviously more in love with her ship than he might be with her.

Walking away from the dock, she headed towards the bar, but made a detour when she passed a shop. She went inside and looked at the stock. The young woman running the store had a small display; a few bombs, a potion, a shield, a black pearl necklace, and a red…something. It looked kind of like a gem with a teardrop-shaped aura around it. "Welcome shopper!" the clerk called. "How can I help you?"

"How much for the shield?" Tetra asked, unable to read its price. The tag had fallen down in front of it. She knew that she could afford the bombs or the potion, but she didn't have a bomb bag to keep them safe, and the potion was a lower priority than the shield, if she could afford that. The other two were way out of her price range, though, since she had left her regular purse back on her ship.

"The shield is 80 Rupees, and will reduce the damage that you take from enemies." Tetra pulled out what change she had, and was glad to see that she had 84 Rupees that she'd collected that morning.

"Just enough," she said, relieved, as she put most of the money on the counter.

The clerk took the money, and handed Tetra the shield. "Thank you for your purchase!" she said happily as Tetra slid it onto her arm. It fit very well, and was either made to be a small shield for a larger person, or a large shield for a smaller person, because she felt like it was nearly as tall as she was, though it was really just the size of her back from neck to pelvis. Judging by the weight and strap size, she decided that it was a small person's large shield, as it was light enough for her to use easily, but still sturdy enough to block attacks. "Anything else?"

Tetra eyed the red gem enviously. It definitely looked like it was worth the 500 Rupees it was selling for. Maybe she'd come steal it later or something. "Nah, that's all I can afford," Tetra admitted. "Thank you, though."

"I hope to see you again!" the clerk called as Tetra walked out.

Her next stop was the bar. The bartender was cleaning a glass as she walked in, but looked up as she approached the counter. "A new customer! Oh, hearty greetings!"

Tetra looked around. The only other person in the room was an old man sitting at the end of the bar. "Looks a little dead," she commented.

"Yeah, lots of locals drift in here to while away the hours, but it's a bit empty at the moment…" He looked at her again, really analyzing her for the first time. "But aren't you a tad short to be in here? No offense, ma'am."

"I'm not here for a drink," Tetra replied hotly. "I'm here for information. Namely on Joleen."

"Oh, you're looking for Jolene?" There was a look of relief on his face. "Sure, I know her! Heck, that chair next to you knew her recently! She just dashed out a few minutes ago, saying she was off to the Temple of the Ocean King." Tetra cursed under her breath. If she hadn't gone shopping, maybe she'd have caught her before she left! "I tried to stop the foolish woman," the man continued. "But off she went to the north side of the isle."

"Did my ears hear that right?" the old man at the end of the bar shouted. "She went to the Temple of the Ocean King?"

"That's what it sounds like," Tetra replied, her interest piqued. "What's so significant about this temple?"

The old man turned to her, a grave look on his face. "Listen up, young 'un. Listen good. The Ocean King is defender of all creation. And that temple up on the hill was built in his honor. None more worthy!" Tetra pondered this for a moment. It was hardly the creation legend that she was used to, but she supposed that different areas would have different versions of it, though she knew from experience that the legend she knew was at least partly true, having been a part of its fulfillment. "Sadly," the man continued, breaking her out of her reverie, "a curse was laid on the place that sucks the souls from all who enter." She shivered involuntarily. "None dare step into the Temple of the Ocean King, so put it out of your mind! Can't say where your friend's gone, but I'll tell you this: stay out of there!"

"Yes, steer clear," the barman broke in. "That's what we all do. But the odd visitor now and then can't resist it."

"Yeah, yeah," Tetra replied, now convinced that it would be no problem: the locals probably had no proof that the place was trouble, if they were all too terrified to go near the place. She rolled out her map and looked at it. "It's this building here, right?"

"Yeah," the barman replied, and then did a double take. "You're not actually going there, are you?"

"Oh, of course not," she replied sweetly as she rolled up the map and left the bar. She then made a beeline for the northern path out of town. The northern field was full of Chu-Chus, as she now remembered the red blobs were called, but they were no match for her swift swordplay.

Wiping off the jelly left behind by the last of them, she was suddenly struck from behind. "Hey!" she shrieked, rolling over to see a crow flying away with her purse. "That's mine!" With a jump, she struck the crow as it fled, causing it to drop the bag. Injured, the angry crow cawed at her and flew onto the cliffs.

Tying the purse back on, she climbed up to the next ledge, only to find her path blocked. "What the heck?" she asked, frustrated.

"Hey, over here!" Ciela called. "It's a longer path, but this way will get you there too." She was hovering over another climb that had probably been made when the rocks had fallen to block the main path. With a heavy sigh, Tetra ran over to and up the scenic route. There were only a few more Chus to worry about, fortunately, before she found herself on the opposite side of the rockslide that had blocked her path.

With a shrug, she got back on the main path, which led into a shallow canyon. She stayed on guard, but found nothing before climbing a staircase at the end of it. She found herself standing before the large stone temple. "Aha!" shouted Ciela. "So this is the Temple of the Ocean King! Legend has it, the temple was built to honor the mighty Ocean King. But the temple has fallen into ruin, and people say it ruins any who enter!" Tetra rolled her eyes; she'd heard all of this in the bar. "Still, we have to find Joleen," Ciela continued, more quietly. "So let's dive right on in, Tetra!"

"That's the spirit!" Tetra replied, dashing inside. She skidded to a stop right after she entered, however, taking in the large chamber she had entered. She deliberately avoided looking at the skull that was a foot away from her left foot.

"Whoa, look, Tetra," Ciela said. "Looks like someone's skeleton…" Tetra knew she could avoid it no more, and looked down at the skull and the skeleton it was part of. "What's it doing here?" Ciela asked fearfully. "You don't think…this could be Joleen…?" Ciela's voice was a shout by the end.

"No way," Tetra replied coolly. "Nothing could strip a skeleton that fast."

Ciela only partly seemed to believe her. "This is really starting to creep me out…" she said mournfully, drifting behind Tetra's head.

Tetra stepped closer to the skeleton, and was shocked when it started to glow, and then speak! "I foolishly entered this temple…" came its hollow voice. "In moments, it drained the life right out of me…" Tetra wondered at that. She couldn't feel anything like that in this chamber, at least. Looking around, she saw two more skeletons on the path to the staircase down into the bowels of the temple.

She walked up to the next one, and sure enough, it spoke as well. "So, even if you clear a trap, it resets once you leave…" the voice was different than the other, though still very hollow. "I should have made notes on my map…" She saw that a map lay beside the corpse, and picked it up. It had a diagram of the room she was in, and she even saw her own position labeled on the map.

"Ah, magical maps," she said as she tucked it into her pouch with her other one.

"But I couldn't make notes on maps with those strange icons…" the skeleton continued. Tetra pulled out the map again, and looked at the image in the corner. It was a quill with a red circle behind it and a red line across it. She tried with her quill, and sure enough, nothing happened when she tried to write.

Tucking the map away again, she walked over to the third pile of bones. "I entered the temple in search of the treasure…" This one's hollow voice was much deeper than the other two. "But monsters that could not be slain with a sword stalked the corridors…"

For the first time, Tetra was scared. What was she supposed to do if her sword couldn't hurt the things? "I'll have to avoid them," she answered out loud as she walked through the doorway into the next chamber. Ciela, too frightened to speak, followed closely behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Tetra stepped onto a colorful floor, which glowed and changed constantly. She felt a comforting magical aura as she walked across it. "Hey!" came a shout from ahead. Tetra, who had been looking at her feet, looked up, but her visibility was limited, and she couldn't see the source of the voice.

"Wait…did you hear something?" Ciela asked. Tetra nodded, glad that she wasn't imagining the voice. But unable to see further, she had to move closer to the source of the voice.

"Hey!" The shout was definitely from a woman. Tetra looked up, and Ciela flew forward. Her soft glow illuminated a dark skinned woman who was jumping and trying to get her attention. "You! Kid! Over here!"

"Yeah, yeah, I see ya," Tetra replied, stepping to the edge of the colorful floor. The woman was standing on another colored area, surrounded by walls and tall spikes. Between Tetra and the spikes, there was a hallway with a very plain floor, probably just dirt. Tetra realized that there was probably a very good reason for the colored floor, and went no further.

"Oh, you came at the right time!" the woman shouted, relieved. "You're lucky you found me!"

"Lucky, huh?" Tetra said skeptically.

"Yep. Lucky for me, but luckier for you," was the reply. Tetra sincerely doubted this, but decided to hear her out. If this was Joleen, it really was lucky, but surely she didn't know that Tetra was looking for her specifically. "Now help me!"

Tetra groaned. She was not used to taking orders, not at all. "Ah, that's Joleen!" Ciela said as she flew closer to Tetra.

"Hey, are you LISTENING? I said, HELP!" Joleen was definitely flustered, almost panicked.

"What is she screaming about?" Ciela asked, fluttering towards Joleen. "For someone pleading to be saved, she sure is rude!" Tetra definitely agreed, but felt it better not to voice the thought.

"What'd you say?" Joleen asked angrily. "Oh, you're that chatty fairy from the old man's place." The pair had a staring contest for a moment before Joleen looked away. "Yes, I got it!" she exclaimed, pretending to have an 'aha moment'. "Listen, can you help me out?"

"I guess so," Tetra said noncommittally.

"Just pay attention to what I have to say," Joleen told her. "I know you're a kid and all, but try to listen up! I'm trapped in here, and I don't know what to do," she admitted, flushing slightly. "Normally, I'd free myself without any problem, but I sprained my ankle when the spikes sprang up, and I can't move."

"Yeah, I bet she did, standing and jumping like that," Tetra grumbled under her breath.

Joleen didn't seem to notice. "Will you help?"

"As long as you'll help me in return," Tetra replied warily.

Joleen relaxed visibly. "Ah, I knew you'd come through for me, kid."

"Hey! Enough of this 'kid' stuff, my name is Tetra."

"Ok, Tetra. Well, then, obviously I need you to get rid of these spikes. There has to be a way to disarm the trap somewhere around here!"

"Okay, you wait there, Joleen," Ciela replied. "C'mon, Tetra."

"Like I have a choice?" Joleen retorted. "Oh! I forgot to mention! One thing you really need to know about this temple. It'll suck the life right out of you!"

Tetra smirked. "Yeah, I heard that from the corpses in the lobby." Because Joleen was where she was, Tetra knew that it wasn't instantly fatal, at least, though she didn't know the rate, either. "But what else do you know about it?"

"Well, it doesn't suck the life out of you ALL the time, at least. You've probably noticed that these glowing floors are safe from that effect, though I've no idea why." Tetra pulled out the map she'd retrieved in the other room. Sure enough, it now showed the room they were now standing in, and the weird mark was gone, too. "Oh, is that a map of this place? Show me!" Irritated, Tetra turned the map around for Joleen to see. "Yeah! It's got all of the safe zones marked, those purple spaces. I scouted a couple of them before getting stuck over here. And don't be shy about breaking pots to get some of those nice little magic hearts to heal you. Now get me out of here!"

Tetra stepped out and immediately felt the draining effects of the temple. It wasn't much, but she felt a sharp jolt of pain that probably indicated that she'd just lost a little of her energy. She ran to the first zone to her right. "Yeah, like that!" Ciela told her happily.

"Yeah, but why doesn't it affect you?"

Ciela fluttered for a second, thinking. "Huh, dunno. Probably because I'm a fairy."

Tetra shrugged. "Eh, makes sense." Feeling a little more back to normal, she ran to the next zone. She was encouraged by what she found. "Treasure!"

"Wow, that's a huge chest," Ciela marveled. "Wonder what's inside?" Tetra lifted the lid, and leaned in to pull out…nothing. "Oh, no! It's empty…I wonder if someone got to it before us…"

Tetra pondered for a moment. "Well, either Joleen already has it, or some other adventurer got it a long time ago." It didn't bother her much; being on the first floor, it probably wasn't a great treasure anyways. That'd be hidden deeper.

She ran to the next area, waving at Joleen's back as she ran past. This zone had a door with an oversized keyhole, and what looked like a crystal ball. The ball was glowing purple. "Hmm, what happens when I do this?" she asked as she smacked it with her sword. Or tried to. The sword seemed to pass through it, and bounced off of the wall next to it. But the glow also changed from purple to green, and she heard something shift in the distance.

She heard Joleen shouting from the central room. She seemed not to realize how loud she was being. "Are you kidding me? That little runt did it! OK, I'm taking that as my cue to get out of here! Freeeeeedom!"

"Oooh, she better not have just ditched us!" Tetra fumed as she ran back to the entrance. She was relieved to see Joleen leaning on the wall in the first safe zone, panting.

She was also muttering to herself. "Phew…I think we can take a quick breather…"

"So much for that sprained ankle," Tetra mused, laughing.

Ciela, however, was less amused. "You said you needed our help because you couldn't walk! But you can run just fine!"

Joleen paused, and turned around. "Bah, it's not like you're the one who did the saving anyways." She glared at Ciela, and then turned her attention to Tetra. "Hey, Tetra, was it? You're pretty brave for someone so short." Tetra wanted to shout something about height jokes at her, but thought better of it. It wasn't like she didn't get that often enough back on the ship. "I mean, not as brave as me," Joleen continued, "but not too shabby."

"Oh, sure," Tetra replied sarcastically.

"Y'know, Tetra's kind of a weird name," Joleen continued. She then struck a pose. "I am Joleen, queen of the sea! Impressive, huh?"

Tetra yawned blatantly. She wasn't going to let Joleen's insults get to her. "Oh, yeah, real impressive."

Joleen pretended not to have heard. "It was smooth sailing in the beginning. But then I triggered that dang trap. I'm just glad it was a safe zone, or I'd be a goner. This place'll suck the life out of you, if you let it."

"Yes, you said that already."

"Blasted temple," Joleen said, shaking her fist at the air. She turned back to Tetra. "What are you doing in a place like this, anyway?"

"Looking for you, actually."

"Oh, and what do you want from me?"

"Well," Tetra paused. "I need to track down the Ghost Ship."

"WHAT?" Joleen shrieked. "You're looking for the Ghost Ship?" She paused, and Tetra wondered why. All of the talk about Joleen so far had been about how she was looking for the ship herself. She was taken by surprise when Joleen grabbed her by the collar and started shaking her. "So you're trying to get your mitts on the treasure! Ow!"

Tetra's kick caught Joleen in the shin, and she let go in surprise. The pair stared each other down for a moment, until Ciela broke in. "Treasure? What are you even talking about? She's trying to save her friend!"

"Oh?" Joleen asked, relaxing.

Tetra straightened herself out before replying. "Yeah. We were looking for the treasure before, but not anymore. We actually found the Ghost Ship already, but he got on ahead of me, and then I heard him yell while I was trying to get over the railing. Then I fell in the water and ended up here. I heard that you're looking for it too, so I chased you down."

"Oh, really?" Joleen said. "Well, boo hoo. How sweet. I think I'm gonna cry."

Tetra's anger flared. "Keep talking like that, and you will cry!"

"Hey, hey, put the sword away!" Joleen replied. "I was just teasing. If that's what this is about, I'm on board! That's actually why I'm up here in the first place, is to find more info on it. I was really close before I got stuck."

Tetra rolled her eyes. "I bet you were."

Joleen ignored her again. "Anyways, I'm still dazed from being in that darn trap so long, so you go on ahead and grab the clue. It's in there somewhere, and we need it to find the ship. Got that?"

"Scaredy cat!" Ciela shouted in her face.

"Am not! I just…just…" a moment later, Joleen was in a pile on the floor.

"She fainted…" Ciela observed. "Think she's faking?"

Tetra glanced at her face, and was sure she saw a smile. "Well, faking or not, we need that clue. Which means we need this." She leaned down and snatched the key that she saw tucked into Joleen's belt. "Magic key, I bet. Probably what was in that big chest. It should get us through that door by the crystal ball."

"That tiny key in that huge chest?" Ciela squealed. "Lame!"

Tetra just laughed as she pulled out the map. There were a few places in the back half of the room that were likely to have the clue. She was about to run back to the door when she heard Joleen whisper, "Good luck in there." She smiled as she ran. Joleen really wasn't so bad.

Like she expected, the key opened the door. She put the key into the huge lock, and it suddenly jumped out of her hand. The door opened on its own, to her relief. It would've been tough to move on her own.

She ran through to the next safe area and pulled out the map again. It had changed in the last couple of minutes. Now new sets of spikes blocked two of the paths, though it looked like they were extending and retracting instead of staying up. There was also a new door blocking the central chamber of the back area. "Something tells me that you'll help me with that door," she said as she looked over her shoulder at another crystal ball.

She struck it with her sword, and it changed color, like the other one had. The nearby spikes also stopped moving. And she heard the sound of a clock ticking somewhere. "Crap! You're timed!" She ran along the path that she had memorized until she came to the last fork. She could hear this set of spikes still moving to her left. But she mistrusted the clear path to her right. Ignoring the ticking clock, she proceeded slowly. Her patience was rewarded when the floor suddenly dropped out from in front of her, instead of under her like it would have had she been running.

She turned and ran the other way as the ticking sped up, which she assumed to mean that time was almost up. She barely waited for the spikes to descend before dashing across. She practically threw her sword at the ball to try and beat the clock. And judging by the heavy grinding noise she heard in the distance, it seemed that she had.

Suddenly, her pouch began making noise. Confused, she pulled out her map, and saw three icons appear; an exclamation mark over where each set of spikes had been, indicating that they were shut off, and one showing the door to the middle room opening for her.

Tetra stayed in the safe zone for a moment after putting the map away, trying to catch her breath, but unable to. She then realized that it wasn't her breath that she needed to worry about, it was her strength. Smashing a pot in the corner, she grabbed the tiny heart that flew out. It filled her with energy that left her ready to go again.

With the spikes disabled, the trip into the now-open center chamber was very easy. Another large, ornate treasure chest stood before her. She eagerly lifted the lid, and pulled out the scroll she found inside. "You found a sea chart!" Ciela exclaimed as Tetra unrolled it. "This must be the clue about the Ghost Ship! Let's go show it to Joleen."

Tetra stared at the map for a long time. "It doesn't make sense…" she said, scratching her head. "I've been all over the Great Sea, but I've never seen an area like this. Just where did the Ghost Ship take me?" This plagued her thoughts as she jogged back to the entrance.

When they got back to where they'd left Joleen, however, she was no longer there. "Hey! Where's Joleen? Can you believe the nerve? Making us go in on our own, and now this! Now that we've got the sea chart, I've got some words for her!" Tetra couldn't help but laugh at the angry little fairy as she walked into the large entrance hall, and then out of the temple.

She was not surprised to see Joleen standing a few yards away from the entrance. "Oh-ho! If isn't the little monkey and her twinkly pal!" Tetra's good mood vanished at being called a monkey. "Slow getting the goods, eh?"

"Oh, yeah, you'd have been SO much faster than us." Sarcasm dripped from Tetra's voice as she glared at the captain.

"You were quick enough to run off, considering that you'd just fainted!" Ciela chimed in.

Joleen looked aghast. "What an insult! I was merely hurrying back to my ship! Any captain worth her salt puts her ship before her own safety, I tell you!"

"And she puts her crew's safety above that!" Tetra shouted in her face.

"Ugh! Whatever!" Joleen stormed. "What did you find in the treasure chest?"

"Not like I've any reason to tell you," Tetra said coolly, "but we found this." Tetra handed Joleen the chart from the chest.

"Ah, a map! Let me at it!" Joleen shouted, snatching it from Tetra's hand. She studied it a minute before growling in disgust. "Bah, what is this? It's just some boring old sea map! Wait! I know! It must be a treasure map! We just need to figure out how to get it to reveal that treasure." A nasty glint appeared in Joleen's eye. "And by we, I mean me!" She turned to run back down to town. "Farewell, little monkey! I'm off to find adventure!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Tetra shouted. "That's MY map!" Tetra sprinted after her, with Ciela trailing close behind.


	5. Chapter 5

Tetra caught up with Joleen at the docks. But neither of the two paid much mind of the other, due to their other guest. "Well, look who's gracing our presence! It's old man Oshus!" Joleen laughed.

Oshus pretended to take no notice. "The bridge has been fixed, so I thought I'd check up on the youngsters here." He then turned to Tetra. "You're an amazing lass to emerge alive from the temple, Tetra! Very courageous for one so early in her years."

"Yeah, well you wouldn't believe what all I've seen in those years," she said as she fought back a blush.

Joleen stomped her foot, drawing the attention of the others. "You sent me into that treacherous temple too, you old barnacle!"

This time it was Oshus who chuckled. "Any who enter the temple unprepared will find it a terrifying ordeal. And MOST would lose heart and flee for their lives upon hearing me say it." He paused and smiled. "But evidently, there are true heroes among us…"

"Yep, I'm famous, all right!" Joleen preened.

"Not you, fool woman! You're a wreck!" Oshus shouted, slamming his staff on the ground. "You'd be sunk if our young friend here hadn't shown up."

"I-I was injured!" she stammered. Tetra began to laugh, earning herself a glare from Joleen, which just made her laugh harder. "On a typical day, I blaze through one or two such temples…before breakfast!" She became even more flustered when she realized just how transparent her lie had been.

Oshus chuckled again. "Calm yourself, Joleen, and tell me what you've made of the temple's map."

Joleen pulled out the map again. "I've inspected it fully," she declared after a moment. "My trained eye finds that it holds no secrets at all!" Tetra rolled her eyes. She wished she had looked at it closer before letting Joleen swipe it. "But wait, old man!" Joleen shouted with a burst of realization. "What do you know of this map?"

Oshus laughed even harder. "Ohoho! Has the map's puzzle eluded you, Joleen? If I may see the map…"

"Hey, I'm the one who found it! I wanna see!" Tetra shouted petulantly. With a smile, Oshus rolled it out so that all four of them could see it.

They were silent for a moment as they stared at it. "A standard map would simply show you where to go, would it not?" Oshus asked after a moment.

Tetra had begun running her finger over the map, to see if the hint was hidden there. "Hey!" she shouted as she traced the south-eastern island. A small piece flaked off, showing something hidden underneath. "There's a mark hidden here!" Tetra quickly rubbed off the rest of the covering, revealing an orange circle with a mark like a wave in it.

"That marks the spot of an isle born of volcanic strife. It is the Isle of Ember," Oshus told them, nodding. "A fortune teller named Astrid lives there, and she sees far, Tetra. Perhaps you should ask her if she can see where the Ghost Ship might be?"

Tetra shrugged. "A fortune teller? If that's the best source we have, then I guess so."

"I've always suspected that there might be something special about that island," Joleen boasted. "So, it's as simple as sailing there and finding Astrid?" Oshus nodded his head. "Then we're off to the Isle of Ember, then!"

Oshus then turned to Tetra and Ciela. "Ciela, I'd like you to go with Tetra. You'll be essential to her efforts, I'm sure!" He paused, letting her think about it. "And, by seeing the outside world, you might just find your lost memories."

At mention of her memories, Ciela began to flit happily. "Will do! Happy to help!" She paused to try and calm down a little. "Too bad that we have to pal around with Joleen, though. Still, I'm glad to sail the seas and see the world!"

Tetra smiled, but Joleen looked offended. "What? Don't tell me that I have to haul around that twinkly bit of fluff, too?" She looked at everyone, and knew she was overruled. "Bah, fine then," she muttered. "OK, the Isle of Ember awaits! That is, if you're ready, Tetra."

"More than ready!" Tetra shouted. "I need to feel the waves beneath my hull again!"

Joleen brightened at Tetra's enthusiasm. "Then climb aboard! The open sea calls!" The pair of them ran onto the ship, and quickly cast off. "It's off to the open seas with us, then!" Joleen shouted.

Tetra looked at the ship as they pulled out of port. It was a simple ship, really, and seemed to be able to be run by a single person. It was a much different design than she'd ever seen before. "What should I…"

"I'll leave all the navigation to you," Joleen called, "while I stay down in the engine room. Since, y'know, you figured that map out before."

"Yeah, yeah," Tetra said as she examined the map. It now showed an icon of their ship, as well as one that she recognized as Beedle's Shop Ship. She checked her wallet, and sighed when she only found 45 total rupees, not enough to buy anything worthwhile from the merchant. "Guess we'll save that visit for later, then," she told herself as she looked around some more.

There was an island between Mercay and Ember that looked interesting. She gasped when she touched it and the name Cannon Island appeared on the map. "Oooh, cannon. Wonder if we could mount one on here?"

"A cannon?" Joleen asked. "Might as well check, I guess."

"Then let's head there first," Tetra decided, taking the helm. Below, Joleen kicked the engine into gear, and the ship began churning through the waves. "Cannon Island, here we come!"

It didn't take long to get to Cannon Island, especially when compared with the distances that Tetra was more familiar with back home. She jumped onto shore as soon as they had docked, and ran towards the large workshop on the hill.

She was stopped by a winged man standing on a bright red mailbox. "Hey! Nice to meetcha!" he called. "And not like I don't want to greetcha, but I'm here to deliver your mail, not talk your ear off." He was doing a good job of that, though. "Yep, the Postman lives for special dee-livery! You're Tetra, right?" Tetra nodded. He wasn't a Rito postman, but seemed to be at least networked with them. "I'm sure I'll be carrying special deliveries for you at some point," he continued, "so I'd appreciate it if you didn't, ya know, shoot me with a slingshot."

Tetra couldn't help but laugh at that. Had someone actually done that to the poor guy? "No way I'd do that," she told him. "Besides, I don't even have a slingshot."

The postman brightened visibly. "Thanks for understanding! I may also need ya to sign for some of the deliveries," he motioned to his clipboard. "And on that note, see ya 'round the sea, ma'am!" He began to flap his little wings, and then flew away much more quickly than she'd have imagined.

"Guess that was just his 'welcome to the neighborhood' shpeil," she said to Ciela. "Anyways, let's go see what we can get at this workshop." She jogged along the path to the doorway of the cabin, which was open, and went inside.

As she walked in, a large man with red hair looked over at her. "Welcome to the ship junkyard at Eddo's Garage!" he greeted. "It's all Master Eddo's!" Tetra was about to ask if he was Master Eddo, but he seemed to space out. "I know that master wants to sell the cannon that he's working on! So come on back later if you're interested in getting your hands on one!"

"Oh, so they don't have one ready right now," Ciela remarked, disappointed. "Guess we should go on to the Isle of Ember, and check back here when we're done." Tetra nodded, and ran out of the shop, rushing back down the hill to the ship.

"So, did you get us a cannon?" Joleen called.

"Nah, they don't have one ready," Tetra replied. "Let's just head over to the Isle of Ember and check back later." They got back onto the ship, and resumed their trek to the volcano.


End file.
